7 unexpected lessons that changed the way I write

If you run down after a shower when you were a kid and write down an idea or find a quarter in a birthday cake, you will know how some of the best things come out of thin air.

Writing is very similar to me.

Usually, the most influential ones are not lectures, conferences, and courses.

Things that seem trivial will help you the most.

Here are seven examples of the theory in practice-seven completely unexpected lessons I learned in the process, no doubt Make me a better writer.

I hope they do the same for you!

1. A question that makes your writing effective

An older journalist friend asked me this question when discussing the title, and I have been using it ever since. This is how it works:

Every time you sit down and write anything, ask, “So what?” And keep asking this question until you understand the core content of the reader.

“This is a 2022 Mazda MX-5 Miata.” So what?

“Mazda launched the 2022 MX-5 Miata…” So what?

The final version will depend on your audience and their priorities. If you are talking to an academic, your answer will be different from that of a novice mother. But the important thing is that you can find it.

I find that I ask myself, “So what?” Until I really understand the really important content related to the topic, this makes my copy more effective and concise.

This makes me even more Effective communicator comprehensive.

2. There is a secret formula

If you talk to well-known writers, you will find that they all have a unique approach Writing process.

Some people act according to feelings, while others find a formula or strategy and repeat the winning technique and apply it to different environments.

Over the years, I have found some of my own, but I also borrowed some.

Lists are a good example, they can be created in different ways:

• Visual appeal: The number of characters from shortest to longest.
• Based on memory: The most important is listed first. The most remembered items listed last.
• pattern: Power of 3, popularity of 7, etc.
• Logical order: Logic or program sequence.
• Decision sequence: Use anchoring bias to guide decision making (e.g. put the products you sell most often in the middle.).

But there is another way.

A few years ago, a popular comedy writer shared something about What makes Letterman’s top ten list so successful.

First, he said, each project is written as a separate joke with a punch line, so it is independent. The screenwriters also designed a sixth joke to elicit a longer laugh, giving the team the opportunity to change the graphics on the screen.

Will these techniques produce effective commercial content? not completely. But they taught me to think carefully about the function of the content.

I pay close attention to the way the words appear on the page.

I deliberately arrange the list using a process that goes beyond the standard formula. I use content to fill in the gaps in the design or customer journey.

The most important thing is that I use experiments and tests to create formulas suitable for specific audiences, and I can use these formulas to achieve repeat success.

3. Everything you learn about writing is a lie

Your teachers are very busy, and they may prefer to do anything other than reading your high school version of the five-segment essay.

This is why the school will teach you to present what you have learned in a fast and easy-to-tag format.

But your readers are not your teachers.

Readers don’t want to know what you’ve learned (usually, anyway), and they don’t want to grade more than 50 papers. So why would you write the same article for two audiences?

you have not.

One of the best explanations I have encountered is this. which one is right?

If you are writing for a cat website, then the first sentence is the right choice.

If you are talking to a dog lover, the second one is a better answer.

why? Because dog owners care about dogs.

Screenshot of Grammarly.com, November 2021

If you are a teacher or a traditional writer, you may feel a little frustrated about this. Sorry, but it works. When your goal is money rather than grades, arbitrary writing rules created by some 500-year-old guys are irrelevant.

When we read, we focus on the subject of the sentence and the item mentioned first. By adjusting the sentence structure, you can emphasize what is important to the reader and establish connections.

But remember, you cannot break the rules at any time. Context is important.

Compared to writing documents for investors, I am more likely to break the rules and have more conversations in blog posts.

If you take time Know your audience, You will know when, where and which rules to break.

(Bringing your editor can also help. Our editor is great and did a great job!)

Editor’s note: Thank you! I am awkwardly vulnerable to flattery and milk chocolate.

4. Language and music need rhythm

Before I became a writer, I was a musician.

I learned the power of tension, relaxation, wording, and the correct way to use notes to express ideas or tell stories. Soon, I discovered that music is more than just a story without words.

The music whispers a secret story to the soul of the listener, creating a new world that neither the musician nor the listener has ever seen before.

Scientific research supports this.

During the concert, the audience’s breathing and physiological reactions are synchronized with the music. The musician’s body is synchronized with the music, and synchronized with each other physically, mentally and physically.

The result is a collective moment of communication and a shared experience that is both the same and different for everyone.

Storytelling can have the same effect.

• Music organizes notes into bars.
• The measures are arranged into phrases.
• Phrases are shaped into themes to tell a story.
• Writing organizes letters into words.
• The words are arranged into sentences.
• Sentences are shaped into paragraphs to tell a story.

Use it.Use your writing tell a story With tension and release, phrases, themes and rhythms.

Let it flow rhythmically. If not, please adjust the wording until it appears.

The most important thing is to make sure your work has a soul-even if you are just introducing some new window caulking to the world.

If you are passionate and excited about your work, so will your readers.

At least, you will become sincere and humane. Maybe it’s a little different, but it doesn’t matter.

5. Make sure you are you

When you listen to enough professional classical musicians, you will begin to notice the difference between those who are good at classical music and those who are instinctively passionate about what they do.

Consider a gymnastics competition. Two contestants can perform the same procedure perfectly, and one almost always gets a higher score.

why?

Although both players have the correct performance technically, those who really love the sport will see the right referee in the right way at the right time.

They almost instinctively bend their fingers and toes, with a little quiet elegance to create perfect lines, attract judges and make Emotional connection makes the difference.

Your writing requires flawless toes or timely glimpses.

It requires you, your enthusiasm, and your unique voice to put the details on the text and allow you to establish a connection with the reader.

6. You can choose to be great

I am a busy person for a long time. I am always doing something.

If I am not doing something, I will catch up or start other things. This is very effective.

At least, that’s what I think.

At one of the moments of “act now”, a trustworthy professor and friend told me:

“Stop doing all other things. Focus on what you do best, and it will become easier.

Instead of devoting 100% to one thing and 100% to another, it is better to devote 200% to what you are good at.

You will get 300% better results. Think of it as economies of scale. “

I argued at first, but soon realized that he was right.

There was a little short-term pain, but in the end, it paid off. It is much better than the way I dream when I sleep in the back of the lecture hall.

Websites, writers, and marketers spend hours trying to provide everything for everyone and keep all the balls in the air. They forget what they are good at and will never find out because they are never committed to it.

They are involved in design, development, business management tasks, and many other things that others can accomplish more effectively.

For you, this may mean sticking to a voice, style, product, or content type. No matter what it is, or how much content you have planned, make sure you know what it is and stick to it.

7. Our brains are not that smart

Screenshot of Google search results, November 2021

If you click on such a headline (or are reading this article), your brain will go wrong. You see, your brain has autopilot and manual modes.

When you encounter a complex problem, you will collect information and analyze it carefully to make a decision. If you are doing a daily task, your brain will run automatically-kind of like a mental script or a macro.

It does this mainly for efficiency and accuracy. Hmm… That’s the idea anyway.

But sometimes it will go wrong.

Those headings above?Each one is an example Survivor bias.

Survivor bias occurs when you focus on things that pass some arbitrary test or threshold and forget to see all the things that failed.

We focus on success and forget about failure, confuse correlation with causation, and overestimate expected results.

CNBC screenshot, November 2021

The title example shows that if you take the steps described by the author, you can get the same results as the author. But here comes the problem:

CNBC screenshot, November 2021

Clickbait content does not include all information about the author’s success, failure, knowledge, luck, and other advantages.

Not everyone can get a salary of $50,000 in their first job. Fewer people can save 35-40%.

Many people cannot afford education, do not have a savvy family, cannot share the cost or get a $20,000 salary increase in a year.

And there is no mention of lost or failed investments.

Everyone is different. Few readers will have all these advantages, but this does not stop many of them from trying.

Survivor deviation is not the only mistake. We tend to emphasize the most emotional things we have heard recently.

Repetition encourages us to treat the statement as more accurate.and Anchoring bias Influence us to determine which option is best.

From the author’s point of view, understanding these errors and biases can greatly improve the response to your copy.

As far as your business is concerned, understand How to recognize bias It may be enough to prevent you from buying unwanted software or making risky investments.

looking for all the time

Machinists on the assembly line, sports programs on TV, trusted friends, unrelated classes…

Just because something doesn’t have a specific reference to writing doesn’t mean it can’t help you improve. Look for them and be open to trying and testing new things.

It may lead to unusual strategies, techniques, or writing styles, but in the end, isn’t this the goal? Stand out and be different.

More resources:

Featured image: Shutterstock/vovan